Beet-topper.



C. F. RUKES.

BEET PPR.

APFLxcATioN mi :uw fe. 19u.

Patented June 4, 1918.

CHARLES F. RUKES, OF PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA.

BEET-TOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 4, 1918.

Application led July 18, 1917. Serial No. 181,257.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. RUKES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Palo Alto, in the county of San Mateo and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Beet-Toppers,`of

\ -It will bev understood that my improved machine will, in general, becarried on a vehicledrawn by horses or by a tractor, and which hasmechanism for uprooting the beets, an elevator being provided to elevatethe beets so uprooted to a suitablev chute, but such mechanism elevatorand chute form no 'part of the present invention, and thereforethevillustration thereof is omitted. 1n fact, the topping machine canalso be stationary and the beets, with the tops attached thereto, can betransported thereto to be topped.

The chute, heretofore mentioned, delivers the beets on to a tray ortable 1 having a flange 2 on its rear side and an end, and a man standsbehind this table and takes the beets as they come in succession anddeposits them' upon a stationary guide frame 3. This guide frame 3comprises a rear bar 4, which is secured, as shown at 5, to the nearedge of the table, and tines or forks 6, 7, 8, which extend from the bar4, in an angular or V- shaped form. the tines 7, 8, being closer to eachother than the tines 6, 7. The thick part of the beet rests between thetines 7, 8, and the thin part or tail of the beet is supported` b v thetines 6, 7, and rests between them. The foliage of the beet projects outbeyond the ltine 8. Upon the bar 4 is adjustably secured, by a set screw9, a linger 10, whichindicates to the operator the part of the beet,when laid on said guide frame, where the cut will be made to top thebeet, so that the operator will be guided inplacing the beet upon theguide frame, to so place it that the cut will be made at the properpoint.

11 indicates a shaft, carrying a pulley 12 driven by a belt 13 from anysuitable source of power, and also carrying a pulley 14 around which isa belt 15 traveling around a pulley 16 on a shaft 17 mounted in suitablebearings 18 and carrying thereon, keyed thereto, sprocket wheels 19, 20,around which travel sprocket chains 21, 22, traveling also aroundsprocket wheels 23, 24, mounted on shafts 26, 27, carried by frames 28,29, secured to tubes 31, 32, on a shaft 33. On said sprocket chains 21,22, lare secured at suitable lintervals bearings 34 for the terminalportions of transverse shafts 35, extending between the two sprocketchains. From each shaft extend rods 3.6, the outer ends 'of which aresecured to a V-shaped frame 37. Each frame 37 comprises a centraltransverse bar 38 secured to the outer ends of said rods 36 and threepairs of diverging rods 39, 41, 42, the rods of each pair diverging fromeach other at about a right angle, said rods 39, 41, 42, extending inplanes making with the plane of the rods 36 and bars 38 angles of about45 and 135 respectively. Y

1t will be seen that each frame, when traveling with the lower flight ofthe chains, 21, 22, hangs down therefrom, so that the rods 36 are almostvertical.

Around the shaft 17 extends a cam/43, againstthe front lower edge ofwhich cam, as the chain advances, impinges the end of a finger 44rigidly secured to the shaft 35 and extending upwardly therefrom.Against said camv the front end of said linger rests while the chains'continue to move toward the shaft 17 and thereby causethe shaft 35 toturn, thereby turning the frame 37 upwardly and forwardly, the free endof the linger 44 eventually traveling around the under side of the cam43 and following behind the frame 37. Thereby the frame is caused totravel around the sprocket wheels 19, 20, in a position in which bothmembers of the pairs of diverging rods 39, 41, 42, extend upwardly. Inthis position they pass between the tines 6, 7, 8, of the stationaryguide frame 3 and lift the beet therefrom.

As the traveling frame 37 passes above and away from the sprocket wheels19, 20, the nger 43 leaves the cam 44, 'and the frame 37 now drops to aposition in which the transverse bar 38 rests upon the upper portions ofthe chain 21, 22, to the rear of the shaft 35, the frame 37 stillcarrying the beet.

carrying a pulley 48 around which travelsa belt 49, traveling alsoaround a pulley 51 onA the shaft, 11. By saidA shaft 11 therefore,` arapid rotary motion is imparted to said circular cutter, and the-topofthe beetv is cut off thereby, as the beet travels past the edge ofthecutter with the frame.

frame While thetopisbeing-cut olii, there is" provided a: verticalishaft 5,2` having on its 1 lower: end ai miter gear 53, Whichfmesheswith. al miter gear 541I upon theA shaftl' andi on its'upper endl amiter gear' 56 which.

mesheswith a miter gear 57l on a; shaft 58 carrying a: pulley 59 aroundiwhichy travels a belt 61 which also travels aroundf aspulley- 62.011'ashaft 63 carried by a suitable frame'.

64 having at; itsloiver end aJXcd pivot'66. A coiled spring 67y attachedat' one end: to

saldi frame 64 and at the other` end to' a.V

Said

frame 65, maintains the belt taut. belt 61 also travels y aroundf a,heavy cylindrical Weight: or` roller 68 rotatablel on a shafty 69.Imounted: in ends of arms 7l, the

other ends ofv which are supported: on theshatt 58, so that saidcylindrical: Weight causes the belt 6l to bear down upon the. beet andto, press said beet down into the middle portion of the frame andf'holdsaidl beet firmly against, the circular cutter.

'Ihe chain 21, Which supports thelower or tail portion otthebeetisfheld` taut, and theframe 28- is,` adjusted, by meansofga ban72f which passes through the. frame` 65`r` and has a nut 73 screwedthereon. By this are rangement any desired! constant tension; ma

begiven. tothe sprocket cha-in, 21. But` it is important that thesprocket chain 22 should.

be` fleXibleto-it the different sizes ot beets. For itis necessaryv thatthecentral line of theI beet when being topped should be horizontallalways onl thev same level, then, While a small beet might' be` toppedproperly, that is, the toppingfcut made square across the beet, yet a;thick beet Would not be topped' properly for its axis wouldv not behorizon-v tal, and thereforel the cut would be made obliquely across-thebeet. i A square cut canl only'be made inall casesii the'centrali lineof; the beet is maintained horizontally.v In order to.- so maintain. thecentral vline of thel beet horizontal it must bearranged that the chain:22, should be depressed. a-ndl theroller 68 shouldl beraised. for athick-beet, Whereas for a thin, beet the chain,22 will risesome whatfrom-.its normal, position, and? the roller 68'. Should correspondinglydescend :tr-omits normal position. It is for this reason. 4that thespring 67 is. provided to as.- sist thefiveight to: risefwhen a thickbeet is passing, and for the same reason there. iS

Il" thev chainA 22 were maintainedvprovided a spring` 74 connected atone end pressure is exerted on the beet by the chain 'below' and? theroller: above, then the spring 74 operates to tighten the chain 24 andraise up the lower side of thebeet sothat its een!"k `In order to holdthe beet' securely iny the;y

tral line is horizontal: and thev cut takesk place square acrossthebeet.

The tivo springs 67 and:r 74, which act rei spectively onI the belt: 61andk the sprocket f- `r chain: 22, equalize each other andinaintain'Jthe beet at allV times in a` position. in; Whi'cl'i.` its central' lineextends horizontally,` the purpose ot the roller 68- being to holddown!H the beet While it is being cut.: I claim:

,Y Y y l. In a beet topping` machine, af stationaryw frame forsupporting the beetsvinisuccession,

2; Ina beet topper, the; combination'` of,"

endless belts, conveyer frames carried thereV by, means for varyingthetensionf of: one of" said belts, and resilient means for varying'.

theY tension of the other belt with the varia-ftion of the load imposedthereon.

3. In a beet topping? machine, thel combi;

nation of' endless; belts, conveyertrames for the beets carriedEthereby, one of said beltsl when in operation` beingf under a uniformtension, and means for varying the tension of the other belt tocontorniytothe variations' of the load thereon'.

4. Ina beet topping.` machine, the combi-rk nation of endless belts andconveyer frames,

carried thereby,A sprocket Wheels around: which said beltspass, amovable frameior supporting-l one Wheel. ot each,` chain, means,

attached tof one of said frames, for varying'.

the tensioniA o"` the chain thereon, aspring,

attached to t'he'otlier movable frame forautomatically varying thetension; ofthe 5. In a beet topping machina-,the 'combi-V- nation ofyendless belts andl conveyer framesv carried thereby,v sprocket Wheelslaroundr Which said belts pass, amovablefrarne' for supporting ornevvheelof each chain,l means attached to, one of saide frames-,for varying iscthe tension of the chain thereon, a spring atbelt for pressing the'beetsinto the oonveyer taohed to the other movable frame for autoframes, apulley around which said endless l0 matically varying the tension of theChain belt travels, a movable frame carrying said around the Wheelcarried thereby with the pulley and a spring attached to said frame loadthereon, an endless belt above said and arranged to extend said beltagainst the chains traveling along a path Which ap- Weight of saidroller.

proaches that traveled by the beets in said conveyer frames, a roller onsaid endless CHARLES F. RUKES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G.

